Lillard stronger, more efficient
Rogers: Trail Blazer deserves MVP consideration
LOS ANGELES – By the numbers, Damian Lillard is having the same kind of season he did last year, a campaign good enough to earn him the No. 4 spot on the NBA’s MVP list.
The Trail Blazers point guard, his teammates and his coach say he is performing at an even higher level this time, and on Monday night he singlehandedly sunk the Clippers with a 39point outburst that was simply unstoppable.
Yet with the season nearly a third of the way through, Lillard is getting little to no love when discussion turns to the individual performers most deserving of acclaim.
Frankly, it’s all a bit odd.
This week, the NBA’s website listed its frequently updated ladder featuring who it perceives as the top MVP contenders. Ten players, headed by LeBron James, were ranked in order, with a further five getting an honorable mention. Lillard, a clear fourth last season ahead of Russell Westbrook, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, wasn’t to be found.
In the MVP betting list, Lillard is the
13th favorite to claim the prize, priced at
60-1 by FanDuel Sportsbook.
Such a dip would indicate a decline from what he managed in 2017-18, but it’s just not the case. Lillard has actually been remarkably consistent. In 2016-17, he scored 27 points per game. Last season it was 26.9. Heading into the Clippers game, he was 26.9 again, with his big effort at Staples Center bumping it up to 27.3. He’s shooting slightly better from the field and three-point range, with his assists and turnover rate almost identical too.
“I think the numbers probably look the same but I think the way it is getting done is stronger,” Lillard told USA TODAY. “It is more efficient. A better game (is) being played to get those numbers. Playing at a certain level, getting to do it for several years, that says something alone.”
Trail Blazers small forward Al-Farouq Aminu thinks one of the most underrated parts of Lillard’s game is his ability to produce down the stretch, a fearlessness when it comes to either taking big shots or finding his way to the free throw line.
“When you are in a clutch situation there are just (a few) guys, him, Steph (Curry), KD,” Aminu said. “He is a topfive guy, then there is his natural ability to score in crunchtime situations. There are tons of dudes who can score great for 46 minutes and 30 seconds in and then they switch off. That’s where I think his name can be put up higher because of what he can do in crunchtime.”
Coach Terry Stotts has enjoyed see- ing Lillard continue to evolve on and off the court. Rumors swirled recently that trading him might emerge as an option for Portland, but Lillard said he had no plans to seek any move and remains the face of the franchise.
“His numbers are going to be what they are,” Stotts said. “He is a great player, he can score, but the things that don’t show up in the box score are the things that are important. He sets up his teammates; he takes leadership. The intangible stuff.”
One reason Lillard is not considered more of an MVP front-runner is because Portland has been somewhat inconsistent on its way to a 17-13 start, good enough for fifth in the Western Confer- ence. But that would be unfair logic.
Heading into Tuesday night, Portland was one game back on the Lakers, with Los Angeles’ record having had no ill effect on James’ MVP credentials. Anthony Davis is also high up in the consideration, despite the Pelicans being stuck near the foot of the standings in the West.
As for Lillard, he is focused on getting the Trail Blazers back in position and is confident that they can first get into the playoffs and then avoid the disappointment of last season’s first-round exit.
“I think I am playing at a high level,” he said, and he’s right, whether the recognition he receives is at an appropriate level or not.